Ouch. That was a little harsh, wasn’t it, Mr. Burnett? I’m beginning to think you’re even more of a sadist than you let on in the past. I mean, you increased the Survivor cast to twenty and then chucked two carefully selected players on the second day. And although Wanda and Jonathan’s heartbreaking departures from the game made for a genuinely emotional TV moment, I couldn’t help but think that you’re yanking the strings on these poor puppets just a bit too hard.
Of course, it’s their own damn fault, really. They signed up to play the silly game, so that makes them masochists.
I thought that the opening twist of throwing all of the survivors together for a day without assigning them to tribes was clever. Especially now that the show is in its tenth installment, I give Burnett credit for inventing ways to keep it fresh, unpredictable and interesting. But I really believe that the whole scheme of two individual immunities and picking tribes would have been just as successful without eliminating two players from the start. Angie would have still felt the sting of getting passed over by her friend Coby and being picked last. Fewer tears would have probably been shed in the process, but it would have been an intense, awkward moment nonetheless.
I was especially disappointed to see Wanda make such a premature exit, as she was by far the most entertaining person in the cast. She spoke with such enthusiasm and energy and her little songs were a riot. I watched her interview on Survivor Insider the day after she was kicked out and grew even sadder when I heard about how much effort she’d put into preparing for the game. She’d made up tons of songs, memorized jokes, and assembled a wardrobe of exclusively red and purple pieces. She looked like a lot of fun and I felt sorry for her.
That’s not to say that I’d want to live on an island with her. Although I can whoop it up with the best of them, I might not be in the mood for a singalong when starving, sleep-deprived, and completely stressed out. So I can understand why she wasn’t chosen to stay, but I still think she should have had the chance to wear a buff, compete in a challenge, and then get voted off if that’s what the group wanted. Treating people in such an expendable way seems cruel and pointless. Unless, Burnett has some secret plot to resurrect Wanda and Jonathan later in the game a la Pearl Islands, I can’t approve of what he did.
Other observations:
1. I love James! He had the first interview of the show and the first thing he said was, “Jeff’s a sumbitch.” So true, man. Every time he opened his mouth, I found myself laughing. At tribal council, he declared that he was part of a “day-um fahn trahb” with such conviction that I wondered if he’d rehearsed beforehand. It was as though he’d stepped straight off the set of O Brother, Where Art Thou? and landed in Palau. I sure hope he don’t run offt too soon. Gopher?
2. At last, we have a group of women with real bodies! I was pleasantly surprised to note that all of the women have the breasts nature gave them (even Janu, the Vegas showgirl) and some even had substantial hips and thighs. It’s especially a relief to see some of the younger women, like Katie, Ashlee, and Angie, actually look like women and not 12-year-old girls. It’s also wonderful to see that the older women like Caryn, Janu, and Jolanda were so buff. What a great celebration of different body types!
3. The men’s bodies didn’t represent as wide of a spectrum. With the exception of skinny Ian and soft Coby, the men looked chiseled out of stone. Especially Ibrehem. Damn! He possesses one of the most impressive male physiques I’ve ever seen on the show. But based on past performances (Osten, anyone?), I know that having the proper equipment does not always ensure success in the game. I’m anxious to see how he fares.
4. What is with Jeff Probst’s obsession with paddling? In Vanuatu, he yelled at players for losing a challenge because they weren’t very good at steering their canoe. He picked on Johnny Fairplay in the Pearl Islands for using the rudder as an oar (although he openly hated J.F., as did everyone else, so that wasn’t such a big deal). And last week, the Ulong tribe lost the immunity challenge in part because they had difficulty rowing and Jeff totally tore them down for it. Like they didn’t already feel bad enough. I don’t see why Jeff feels the need to heckle people when they clearly know they just sucked at a challenge.
5. I’m concerned about Angie. I predicted that she would be like a female Lex, but I was totally wrong. While both Angie and Lex possess many piercings and tattoos, the similarities end there. Lex arrived in Africa confident that his people skills would ensure him a stable place in the game, and they did. His punk rock look was never an issue with anyone, nor did he ever bring it up as a potential source of alienation. I have a feeling that age plays a huge factor here: Lex was nearly 40 when he played the game and Angie is still in her early twenties and probably a bit unsure of who she is. Furthermore, the wounds of her undoubtedly rough adolescence are probably still healing and she’s not yet ready to shake off the opinions of others. On the other hand, decorating one’s body the way she has sends a strong message about how she wants people to perceive her. I don’t think that someone who wants to fit in typically goes to lengths that Angie has to look different. At the same time, I think Angie’s own worst enemy in this game is herself and if she starts acting as though she’s part of the group, her situation will improve. She actually has a lot in common with Christy, the deaf player from the Amazon who realized during the course of the game that it was her attitude, not her disability, that was making her feel left out.
6. I think Ian’s going to kick some serious ass. He’s like the Skinny Ryan That Could. First, he grabbed individual immunity before anyone else was even close. Then, he led the Koror tribe to victory. And in his interviews, he just gave off a positive, likeable, energetic vibe. My only concern for him is that he’ll waste away before making it to the final two. Not much meat on those bones at all.
7. Coby has already truly outgayed himself (to use a brilliant term from the movie Mean Girls). I love the fact that he fashioned his pink shirt into a loincloth.
I think the casting for this season was top-notch and can’t wait to see how Survivor: Palau plays out. Just bring back Wanda, Burnett!
